Page 271 of Good Boys Don’t Bite

Elliot looked at him.

“Do you regret us?”

The question came quietly. Ronan hated how quickly the answer arrived.

“No.”

Elliot’s expression changed.

“That's probably fucked up.”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

Ronan laughed. Then Elliot smiled. For half a second, Ronan saw the version of him everyone else knew. Sweet. Pretty. Perfect. Then he remembered blood on a shard of broken glass downstairs. The mask beneath the stairs. Five names. He looked away. Elliot noticed. Of course.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“Fuck that word.”

Ronan laughed.

“Asshole.”

“You taught me.”

They fell quiet again. They returned upstairs at 1:57. Elliot shut the bedroom door. Ronan sat on the edge of the bed. Neither spoke. Then:

“That went better than expected.”

Ronan looked at him.

“You expected execution?”

“Possibly.”

“Dramatic.”

“Says you.”

Ronan smiled faintly. Elliot sat beside him. Not touching. Again. Ronan looked at the space between their thighs. Two inches. It felt like miles.

“You can touch me.”

Elliot went still.

“What?”

“I said you can touch me.”

“I heard you.”

“Then why are you looking at me like I proposed?”

Elliot’s mouth twitched.